I spied this set in a nearby junk/resale shop a few weeks ago and, thanks to a good friend, it's now in my garage :) The proprietor seemed happy that anyone was actually interested in it and took $20 for it.

Really not much to look at from the outside which I think was their intent - minimalist design. Odd that is has a UHF tuner badge on it being from 1949/50.

Note that I do had that broken off bit in the lower right.
https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8737/16839515620_c2cf29446c_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/rE3Vjd) https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8755/16840831839_01667b3f83_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/rEaEzD)

Heavy bugger even with a metal 19AP4 CRT and aluminum chassis.
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7643/16838799408_b70488345e_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/rDZfpJ) https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7617/17025601892_0028d4e4e9_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/rWuEhd)

It has continuous tuning with a band switch like the smaller TC-10
https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8685/17001061446_9fb80aa9aa_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/rUjTg5)

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7624/17025710351_aa4ff8f5b6_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/rWvdwc) https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8736/16404635274_c7a0092bba_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/qZC3xd) https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7604/16840957939_5eb8033a22_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/rEbj4M)

Closest thing I could find to it online is the "Emperor" http://www.tvhistory.tv/1950-Stromberg-Carlson-Ad.JPG

Eeked out some emissions after an hour at 8 volts. Auto restore and rejuvination functions had no effect :(
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7619/16819632097_e56fb77ae1_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/rCi1CR) 045 (https://flic.kr/p/rCi1CR) https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8750/17027056185_941677fe5b_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/rWC7Ae)

Chassis came out easily once I disconnected the flexible control cables.
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7599/16840830349_30892f89a2_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/rEaE8X) https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8741/17026190921_839376da99_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/rWxFnT)

Love the aluminum chassis with "roll bars"
https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8704/16819639987_2ef9a75edd_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/rCi3YT)

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7627/16839276358_83ac560ff9_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/rE2Gc1)

Looks like fun :D
https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7640/17025609082_ecd7bf84c4_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/rWuGqb)

Hey Bob if you decide to keep it I may have a spare crt for you.

Looks like a fun project especially if you can secure another CRT. You have lots of room to work under that chassis, always a plus! Please, keep us posted.

I've got a 19AP4, and I'm headed to ETF.

Interesting set Bob! In the '30's and '40's the higher-end sets were often less ornate than the lower priced sets. That will be a great player when restored. Don't discount the CRT until you try it on a restored chassis. I know repairman that found CRT's that tested poor to actually give a very acceptable picture.
Good luck with it.

Interesting how it appears to use a version of one of their table model chassis.

Did you try the magnet test on that chassis? It sure looks like cadmium or zinc platted steel.

I just did and you are correct - it's steel :o The lack of any corrosion and it's light weight tricked me.

It looks very similar to my TC-125 chassis, only the HV circuitry is laid out on the opposite side. On my TC-125, the power transformer sets where your HV cage is.

I tested a CRT I know is good last night with the CR-70 and got no emissions until I wiggled the cable. That got me thinking I'd better retest the 19AP4.

This time I used my recently refurbished RCA WT-590A. Bingo! Tests like new :) I retested with the CR-70 and got similar excellent results. Rock solid life test too!

I'll definitely attempt to restore this beast now :yes:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7706/16479697404_8b5172d7cf_z.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/r7fKTS)

Similar thing has happened to ME On my 70. A color tube will test very low--even at 8.5 volts or so.. on ONLY one gun... THEN...I discover than one pin on the socket to the plug is being SHOVED OVER to the side and NOT making contact with the plug !! After this-usually ALL guns test good...Except for a few tubes that ARE bad on one gun...like the one in my 29JC20.

I tested a CRT I know is good last night with the CR-70 and got no emissions until I wiggled the cable. That got me thinking I'd better retest the 19AP4.

This time I used my recently refurbished RCA WT-590A. Bingo! Tests like new :) I retested with the CR-70 and got similar excellent results. Rock solid life test too!

I'll definitely attempt to restore this beast now :yes:


When I first watched the video, I went: "Bob! You've got THREE functioning CRT testers now, why the hell aren't you getting a second opinion from one of them? Especially after the whole no pulses then no-flash thing happened."


Have you apologized sufficiently for it to forgive you for the elevated filament current abuse? :D

LOL I didn't go above 8 volts so I think it'll be alright :)

LOL I didn't go above 8 volts so I think it'll be alright :)

Has anyone measured the volts/current it pushes through the filament during the auto restore and auto rejuvenate cycles? I'm wondering if it just adds X volts to the currently selected filament voltage, jumps to a predetermined value, or if it goes into a constant current mode of some sort. I can't recall if you ever performed either cycle on a weirdo 2.xx volt predicta tube or not. I'm imagining it does the opposite of the life test button.

Speaking of constant current, in sets that have had the diode, or diode+resistor mod done to the filament string, since the filaments are now only seeing a DC voltage, why not chuck in an LM317 in current limit configuration using a 2.1 ohm 1 or 2 watt resistor to hard clamp the cold inrush current to a max of 595ma, slightly faster warmup than a thermistor, with the added benefit of auto compensating for higher than planned line voltages. (Might want to use an LM350 or an LM338, I'll admit to not yet having crunched the full numbers in terms of TDP, etc but if your diode mod gets it to 10v or less over target, at ideal 117v, the regs are unlikely to fry even if you plugged it into a 130v source.)

I haven't measured it but just going my the filament brilliance it's more than I ever do manually.

Yes, I have used the auto and manual restore/rejuv functions on a Predicta and it didn't blow out the filament. I suspect it's going a certain % higher than the filament voltage setting.

Not sure if a LM317 would work since although it's DC it's not filtered.

I haven't measured it but just going my the filament brilliance it's more than I ever do manually.

Yes, I have used the auto and manual restore/rejuv functions on a Predicta and it didn't blow out the filament. I suspect it's going a certain % higher than the filament voltage setting.

Not sure if a LM317 would work since although it's DC it's not filtered.

I'll investigate this further via an actual lash-up possibly this weekend. My initial hypothesis is that the LM317/350/338 will just act as a peak-clipper. I also forgot to consider that the duty cycle is going to be something around 33% instead of 100%, so that helps the TDP side of things. Hell, it might be entirely possible that just a diode and a regulator will let you run strings as low as 35v off mains. I'm also curious to see how it affects the initial warmup. It might actually take longer than a thermistor, because the hard maximum is 595mA in the example I gave. I intend to find out for us all.

Cool - good luck!

Nice set Bob. Love the roll bar chassis setup!!!

Can't remember where I got this pic from, but it's labelled TC18-LX as the model number...It's slightly different than the New Yorker, just slightly. I don't have the model label picture so we're at the mercy of the photog and have to take their word that this is a TC18 model.
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m306/coolviper12/Stromberg-Carlson/Stromberg_TC_18LX-hd.jpg

Second one was from my unidentified folder, but its a "classic" model so we'll label it unknown "18 or 19" classic with a 1409 radio.
http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m306/coolviper12/Stromberg-Carlson/3n03mb3l45Q65U35S5b31efb768d9f38f1a5a.jpg

Background on the top one appears to be the inside of the early television museum.

Background on the top one appears to be the inside of the early television museum.
Yup it sure is http://www.earlytelevision.org/stromberg_tc-18lx.html
So we can definitely take their word for it.
I have so many forum, CL, and bay photos It's hard to remember where things come from after they kick around in folders a few years. and usually they don't show the label...I don't like taking others word on the model unless I see the label, but I think an exception is due for the TC18.

http://i107.photobucket.com/albums/m306/coolviper12/Stromberg-Carlson/17T-1.jpg
The 17T1

I'm working up an order for parts right now :)

This set has one of those caps rated in impedance rather than Farads. It's used to bypass the centering controls.

2.5 ohms @ 60 CPS
0.5 ohms @ 15750 CPS

Using this Capacitor Impedance Calculator (http://www.pronine.ca/capimp.htm) gets me 1,061uF and 20uF. I'll go with standard values of 1,000 and 22uF.

Here are some better photos of the front of the set I took while moving it to my new climate controlled storage facility. I do have that broken off piece at the bottom and will glue it back on.

No idea when I might get to it, but I'm really itching to. Nice thing is I can leave the cabinet and big CRT in storage while I work on the chassis with a little test CRT :yes:

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/684/31878472666_4588e3e5a5_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/QyZvi5)

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/665/31878472106_4cc71b5f14_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/QyZv8q)

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/726/31768109502_697b3e6d5c_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/QpeSaU)

Cool. Looking forward to the video. :thmbsp: